"For Hire: Video Artist, with Baggage"

The Air Marshals shooting that dude off his meds on a flight yesterday has caused me to wonder - how would my neighbors who I never talk to characterize me if reporters came a callin'? I just saw a report on the frickin' "Today" show that casually presented neighborly comments for this poor sucker as "worked at a home supply store, did missionary work, and was quiet and friendly." Aside from the cooling effect Mr. Alpizar might have on missionary recruitment, he got some kind words. Mine might be more of the "always pushed a baby stroller" or "no noticably offensive smells" or hopefully "had a vivacious gait". Or more likely "never gave a damn about crossing the Street outside the crosswalk" and "always fiddling with an iPod like a madman." Regardless, I hope we all take this to heart and are nice to a bitchy neighbor today. Even the ones we fear may be cooking the flesh off skulls or holding Bible Study meetings in their basements.

This morning's guilty media junkie pleasure - the mess with the insensitive cop Jesus-mas Party video. I haven't seen the whole thing, but what I've screened has pretty high production value and adequate direction. The scene where the cop runs over an African-American homeless person of ambiguous gender was pretty tight. Some of these suspended cops may have a future.

Maya's digging the space heater - sleeping like a drunk with a fresh case of Listerine. And while the rain fell yesterday afternoon, she was talkative and positively psyched to be out in the Girl in the Plastic Bubble BOB. Actually, getting her out of the apartment is more essential now than ever since she started crawling everywhere and standing up with the aid of any piece of furniture. I've fashioned something of a pillowy den for her in the living room, blocking the exits with Gitmo (her playpen) and some finally-utilized throw pillows we've been moving from place to place with us for years. A few tumbles daily, but all seemingly in good or easily correctible humor. So my ears are also up for all the stories of child development studies or helpful hintyness - kinda like how a decade ago I was always on the lookout for stories about cooking with ketchup or hot spots for the sweatiest dive bar with cheap Rainier pints. Anyhoo, heard one on NPR this morning about getting a 9-month versus 10-month-old baby to follow your gaze with your eyes open and then closed. At around 10 months, normally developing kids begin to notice when your eyes are closed and then don't necessarily blindly (pun intended) follow your direction of gaze. Fascinating, in a very narrow sense. Brains developing are cool, Beavis. Heh, heh. Rock on.